Nevertheless, I have to admit that at practical level, an "address to the children" makes a certain amount of sense. A new generation of Americans will be needed to fight Obama's war in Afghanistan over the next seven years. An annual address is a chance for some kids to get to know their future Commander in Chief. The dreams of today's twelve year old could make or break the Kandahar Offensive of 2015.
If the United States is going to fight the long war in Afghanistan, its president needs to be proactive about recruitment.
I would have loved hearing from my president the first day of school - I've been interested in politics since I can remember, and I would have found it quite memorable. But I agree with the argument from both sides of the aisle that injecting politics, even accidentally, into the classroom environment would be a bit of an overreach.
ReplyDeleteTwo Words. Hitler Jugend.Politicizing education, particularly that of the young, always falls down the same steep slope. This is just as bad,and possibly even worse as the Republican's 'No Child Left Behind' program which destroyed the ability of schools to show kids the process of rational discernment and self-education.
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